6 Secrets to Tom Konchalski's Success...

Sadly, for us, one of the greatest basketball minds of our time doesn't blog or own a Facebook profile. He doesn't even own a computer, e-mail address, cell phone, driver's license or answering machine--all by choice. Yet he's considered a "ubiquitous basketball maven" and as Manhattan College Coach, Barry Rohrssen suggests, "everyone connects back to him."

How does Tom Konchalski circumvent the online social movement and remain relevant with over 200 subscribers to his $375/year scouting reports?

Did I mention his weapon of choice is a 25-year-old typewriter? No lie...

(picture from SI.com)

Kevin Armstrong of SI.com recently penned a beautiful piece about Tom Konchalski's cemented legacy of being "more plugged in" than anyone, despite his lack of an online presence.

As you may extract from Armstrong's article, or by meeting the gifted talent evaluator in person, Tom Konchalski upholds the very same principles that will prove vital to your online (and offline) success:

1) He's honest: Ever the Trust Agent, Tom Konchalski humanized his business by being transparent and by providing honest (and accurate) assessments of players' abilities for nearly 4 decades; he also builds genuine relationships with players, their families, and high school and college coaches. Konchalski's word is gold, and he earned it.

2) He's personal: Shake Tom's hand once, and he'll remember your name and game (if you have any) forever. Konchalski even goes as far as "addressing each envelope in black ink before mailing." If he wasn't a self-confessed technophobe, Tom's personality and relationship building skills would yield serious benefits in the social space.

3) He's got chops: Konchalski drafted an unknown "Mike Jordan" at Five-Star Basketball Camp in the summer of '80. Jordan put himself on the map through stellar play, but Konchalski saw the bright light before most of the basketball world picked up on it. There's a reason why every coach covets his phone number and hopes for him to be home. Good luck.

4) He puts in the work: He's one man, but he's everywhere: West 4th, MSG, Five-Star, Gauchos' Gym, CTK, Manhattan College. He's been through countless legal pads for notes, and he pumps out 15 reports a year for college coaches to chew on.

5) He's patient: In case you missed it, he uses a typewriter, and doesn't have a cell phone. Enough said.

6) He knows how to monetize: 200 subscribers x $375/year = $75,000 year. That's impressive with or without a computer.

If you think the social sphere is rampant with so-called "experts," you haven't seen the college recruiting landscape. While social media is a newer phenomenon, both fields lack a governing body, certification process, or barriers to entry. So "anyone" can join in and make false claims.

Sooner or later, you will get called out. Gary Varynerchuk warned you. As the "social media sommelier" also points out, this about business; and businesses exist to solve a problem and make money. How many social media "gurus" and recruiting "experts" make a living off their knowledge and skill set? Exactly.

Tom Konchalski is the reason why I got back into basketball (coaching before writing) after hanging up my hightops in 2000. His legacy can be learned from, and the above points only scratch the surface. Thanks, Tom!

Kobe, Lakers, and Cavs Among Top Trending Twitter Topics in '09

Kobe-LeBron, a never-ending debate no more...

That is, of course, if you're comparing Twitter mentions in 2009 (or, ahem...NBA titles). According to Twitter's December 15th blog post, KB24 emerged as one of the most mentioned people on the entire platform; 7th overall, and the only basketball-related name to crack the top 10.

The King could easily reverse this result in '10 by simply signing up and using the service, right?

On the team side, both the Cavs and Lakers finished among the trending elite in '09. Surprisingly, the Orlando Magic (a former suggested user with over 950K followers), last year's NBA finalist, didn't break through. This shows you how much the world anticipated a Cavs-Lakers showdown. Maybe this year.

Here's a look at the complete list. Who else did you expect to see on the top 10 people + sports lists?

How Basketball Went Viral...And How Your Content Can, Too

We recently celebrated basketball's 118th birthday, and the game is now played by over 450,000,000 people worldwide.

How's that for reach?

While Dr. James Naismith's original intent for inventing a new indoor game was to occupy the attention of 18 "incorrigible" executive secretaries at Springfield's International YMCA Training School, it's not surprising (in hindsight) that his game was quickly adopted and shared around the world....and it continues to grow today.

All of the elements for virality were in place. And remember, the game reached a critical mass well before the advent of online social networks. Shoot, this all went down before computers and televisions were around. The telephone was barely a teenager in 1891, and Edison's radio patent was 8 days old when Naismith posted his 13 rules for the game of basket ball (two words until 1921. Lazy sportswriters).

How so, you ask?

Simplicity: 1 ball. 1 basket. That's it, and that's all. Forget the original 13 rules for a second. The aim is to shoot (throw in 1891) the ball in a horizontal goal more times than your opponent in a given period of time. And if you don't have a friend/s, you can challenge yourself. Easy to understand, eh?

Creativity: The horizontal goal that Naismith dreamt up was inspired by one of his favorite childhood games, Duck on a Rock, where accuracy trumped velocity. Naismith's intent was to mitigate roughness, and prevent players from surrounding the goal. It just so happened that he nailed the peach basket 10 feet from the ground on the gym's gallery. Dribbling wasn't even a thought when Naismith conceived basketball, but good things happen when you lose control of the message (kudos to David Meerman Scott).

Remarkability - The story of basketball's invention (and inventor) is remarkable. It was an assignment to solve a real world problem, and it carried a real deadline of two weeks. Naismith's advisor, Dr. Luther H. Gulick (later founded the famed NYC PSAL League), made a statement that helped the 30-year old think through game's invention, He said, "There is nothing new under the sun. All so-called new things are simply a re-combinations of the factors of things that are now in existence." This challenge inspired Naismith to create a game that added value to people's lives. Think of all the players, coaches, and contributors that garnered fame, fortune, and purpose (in my case) from the game.

Shareability: Who needs tweetmeme or a Facebook share button, when you're introducing a fun new game to an influential and international audience right before they depart for winter break. Talk about sneezers (Thanks, Seth Godin). It was December 21st, and this was the International YMCA Training School at Springfield (now Springfield College). The "winter" problem and overall lack of interesting indoor activities existed beyond Massachusetts. Naismith built virality into the equation without even knowing it.

Patience - 118 years is a very long time in today's digital world. But, 450M served is a very large number no matter how long the period. Remember The Tipping Point? Or Chris Brogan's Overnight Success Series? Not all ideas reach a critical mass, and rarely does an idea gain momentum overnight. In fact, it took Brogan 8 years to eclipse 50 blog subscribers. Now, he's the unofficial king of the Human Business.

How does your idea (and content) stack up?

Is your idea easy to understand, and worth spreading? Did you make it easy to share, and call people to action? Do your readers/listeners/viewers yield any benefits for sharing your idea? Is it creative, and most importantly, is it remarkable?

What do your readers say?

It's their answers to these questions that ultimately count. Dr. Naismith's idea went viral because the game of basketball wasn't about him; it was about everyone else. He immediately declined to call the game Naismith Ball (per his student, Frank Mahan's, suggestion).

There's no perfect formula for creating viral content. In fact, sometimes terrible content draws a lot of eyeballs. But we all know that's not a good long-term strategy.

What else can we extract from basketball's explosive growth and put into our work?

What Everybody Ought to Know About New Age Sports Journalism

Words: Matthew Harris; Matthew's blog: Fan's Eye View

As the end of the decade comes bearing down on us, and we take time to look back at the past, I have to feel that for all those who work (or would like to work) in journalism, this has been a year of unprecedented change. We are entering a new era of reporting, and it is one that has taken this field by storm.

The influx of more and more true reporters into cyberspace has began to steer this new and mostly unexplored realm of journalism toward the traditional teachings of the field. When, for example, an on-air personality from ESPN reports on a story via his or her Twitter page, for me that report carries more weight and credibility than one posted by somebody without the same name recognition or credentials. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily a good thing all of the time, because there are very good journalists and reporters out there that just haven’t made the leap into the mainstream, but that doesn’t mean they are any less talented or have stories that carry any less weight. It just means that in a world where discrimination is the name of the game when it comes to how much impact a story holds, these knee-jerk judgments can sometimes unfairly discount somebody.

But that’s where it is in the hands of the new age of journalists to take this road block and tear it down with talent and hard work. The web isn’t a place where good reporters go to die, it’s a place where everyone who has a passion for the field can kick-start a career, satisfy a craving for the news and for writing, or just let their opinions be heard. It’s a place where you don’t need 20 years of experience to prove that you’re talented, but that if you put your information out there in the right way, then that talent will be shown in its full light.

Despite what some believe, I don’t feel as if journalism as a profession is dying off. I don’t think that the idealistic and romantic field that many of us fell in love with as children is becoming a rarity. Yes, the newspaper industry is going through a rough patch; but I challenge you to find an industry that is immune to the ups and downs of the nation’s economic situation. If the money isn’t flowing like it used to, then changes are going to have to be made in order to survive. While I am not a fan at all of the cutting back that has been forced into happening, nor am I a fan of opening up a two-page sports section in my local paper, I do not see the field as a singular entity. Newspapers are not the end- all be-all of the journalism world. They are merely the foundation on which all future innovations are built upon.

Although the foundation has been shaky, the bulk of the journalistic world has moved with the times and embraced the new frontiers. Cyberspace, around-the-clock deadlines and 24/7 news cycles have replaced the paper boy and afternoon editions as the way to spread your wings as a journalist. Gone are the days when you had to wait until the next day to “read all about it”; now, if you haven’t done your reporting within hours (and sometimes less) of a story breaking, then you’re behind the eight ball with little hope of recovering.

That is why I think that today’s journalists and those who are looking to enter the field must begin to prepare themselves for what the field has become, and what the future will bring. Because right now, I think we’re in the prime of a new age in journalism, one that we will look back on someday as the beginning of something big, something revolutionary, something that will take our field of work and turn it into something greater than we knew it could be.

Happy Birthday, Basketball

Did you know that today is the "unofficial" birthdate for the game of basketball?

On this day back in 1891, Dr. James Naismith nailed two peach baskets to opposite ends of the Springfield YMCA gymnasium, and posted his 13 rules for "Basket ball" on the outside wall.

Not bad for a two week charge from the YMCA's Director, Dr. Luther Gulick, to invent a new game that would keep the attention of 18 "incorrigibles." The first game was a 9-on-9 contest and ended in a 1-0 score. William Chase scored the lone bucket with a 25-foot toss.

History class is dismissed. Back to tweeting the Johnnies-Cornell game at MSG. If you feel compelled, sing.

(A look at the first team... Dr. Naismith with jacket on)

NBA: Where 'Guest Tweeting' Happens

Last week's Celtics-Wizards meeting drew fans' interest for reasons other than Jesus Shuttlesworth tallying his 20,000th career point, Boston extending its road resume to 10-1, and an overmatched Washington team losing by only a deuce to the Eastern Conference standings leader.

It had to do with Twitter and CNN Reporter, Wolf Blitzer.

Before you scratch your head, know that Blitzer has been a Wizard's season ticket holder for the last 10 years. He also actively tweets by himself, without delegating the micro-blogging 'task' to a shadowing assistant like some celebrities do. I won't mention names.

In the spirit of their continued commitment to connecting with fans and providing unique content in the social space, the NBA decided to hand over its Twitter reigns for an evening to the distinguished political anchor. Now do you recall TNT's Marv Albert drawing attention to Wolf tweeting during the broadcast?

Did you catch Wolf introducing the idea on The Situation Room?

Anyway, much like his beloved Wiz, Blitzer held his own.

He blitzed off 25 tweets on his BlackBerry (TwitterBerry application to be precise) throughout the course of the game, and gave fans real-time updates about the experience and on-court happenings.

When the final horn sounded, Wolf Blitzer vowed to return, but made it convincingly clear that a career transition was not imminent.
All that said, who's to follow...in his Twitter tracks that is?

With their door still open for guest reporting, the NBA announced yesterday a second dose of 'Instant Amazing' at Friday night's Knicks / Clippers match-up (click image below for an enhanced view).

No, that's not a Photoshop job. Guess where I'll be tomorrow evening at 8pm?

You got it.

Tune in...or better yet, join the conversation:

NBA: http://www.twitter.com/NBA
PRC: http://www.twitter.com/Peter_R_Casey

PS: Be on the lookout for a mid-day 'tweasure hunt.' The Knicks will be giving out a pair of freebie tix so you (and your guest of choice) can be inside The World's Most Famous Arena, too. Follow them closely: @TheNYKnicks. You can thank Jordan Maleh, voice behind the Knicks' Twitter feed, for hooking this up.

PPS: I'll be hiding a pair of tix as well. Details to follow.

PPPS: Last one, I promise. Thank you to Dan Opallo and John Acunto for giving me this opportunity. I deeply appreciate it!

Sports and Social Media Predictions in 2010

Jason Peck, one of the O.G. (Lewis Howes' bestowed Jason with this nickname) Sports + Social Media bloggers, just released an ebook that compiles predictions from 16 practitioners of where the social movement is headed next year in the sports industry.

I was lucky to be one of them. My predictions are featured on page 15 of the ebook. Hope you enjoy!

Sports Social Media Predictions 2010

New Heights Holiday Hoop Festival

Holiday Hoop

Interview with Founder + President of College Chalktalk, Chris DiSano

I recently had the chance to speak with Chris DiSano, founder and President of College Chalktalk (CCT) -- a comprehensive site dedicated to inside the lines coverage of men's college basketball with an emphasis on the Atlantic 10 Conference. Sponsored by the Atlantic 10 and possessing relationships with schools and coaching staffs from more than 20 leagues across the nation, CCT has earned respect throughout the coaching community and is committed to analysis which is credible and accurate.

A native Rhode Islander, DiSano is a graduate of James Madison University (B.A.) and Syracuse University College of Law (J.D.). He is a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association and one of a distinct group of media and coaches carrying votes for Atlantic 10 individual/team accolades. As President of College Chalktalk, LLC, DiSano is responsible for oversight of all business development, content development and operations management. He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife.

I talked with Chris about his passion for the game, the early beginnings and vision for his site - College Chalktalk - and how he uses social media to build credibility and community.

PRC: What spawned your love for college hoops? Were you a player or a coach?

Chris DiSano: I first realized my love for college hoops growing up in Rhode Island during the 1987-88 season. I was 12 years old and watched the Rhode Island Rams, led by Tom Garrick and Carlton "Silk" Owens upset Syracuse to reach the Sweet Sixteen. From that point I was hooked. I went on to play high school ball in Rhode Island, but my 5-foot-10, 145lb (at the time... I haven't sniffed that weight in nearly two decades) frame wasn't going to net me a D-1 scholarship. I ended up at James Madison, worked for Lefty Driesell for a year or so... and then went on to law school. But the passion never subsided.

PRC: Talk to us about your website, College Chalktalk? When did you decide to become active on the web? What drove that decision?

DiSano: I was confident in my knowledge of the game... and because of that passion and the enjoyment I get from analyzing, talking and writing about college hoop, I had always thought about creating a website. Unfortunately, I didn't have the technical background. But when user friendly blogs became widespread, I was able to parlay my love for the game with barely passable computer skills to get a Blogger blog off the ground. At the time,I wrote some test articles and contacted then Associate Commissioner of the A-10, Duane Bailey, about my idea to create a site specializing in coverage of the A-10. Duane believed in the concept and told me I just needed a better looking blog. I contracted with a web designer friend of a friend who was able to give the site the slight upgrade we needed to earn the support of the A-10. College Chalktalk formally launched on January 15, 2008, in a blog format.

PRC: Your National Coaches' Diary Series is a must-see for college hoops fans. How in the world did you get 50 coaches from over 20 conferences to participate? How do you manage this process?

DiSano: Its taken some time, but the site built credibility through solid, informed coverage of the A-10. We became credentialed and really stuck to quality control. From there, it's just like anything else...relationships, relationships, relationships. I've been fortunate to form some great ones and, coupled with hard work and late nights, the concept of the Diary Series became reality.

As far as management of the process, its not easy but one word comes to mind. BlackBerry. Without it, it would be nearly impossible.

PRC: You have a lot of ties and knowledge about the Atlantic-10. Who are your all-time favorite coaches in this conference? Who did you predict to take the A-10 crown this year?

DiSano: Well, anyone who loves the game of basketball has to respect John Chaney (Temple). While Chaney may have taken heat for some incidents that occurred later in his career, his knowledge of the game and the genuine way he cared about his players was unmatched and something I will always admire. I am also a big Phil Martelli fan. Very accommodating... and an even better quote.

The A-10 as we've seen early on is wide open this year. Dayton was the heavy preseason favorite but has struggled defensively early on, which they can't afford to do because they are just not prolific enough on the offensive end. Defense, pressure, turnovers and transition are their calling card. I still believe Dayton will regroup, but Richmond is an excellent team that can play at a level offensively - when Justin Harper is on - that no other team in the conference can match. With their two guards, Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez, they may very well emerge as regular season champs if they can simply rebound the basketball.

PRC: How do you go about marketing the website? How do you integrate or plan to integrate social media in your site's marketing efforts?

DiSano: Much of the marketing thus far has been based upon relationships cultivated with respected folks in the business. For instance, we have an advertisement in this month's edition of Basketball Times, a very well respected publication in the gameI am a big believer on establishing credibility first. In my opinion, that foundation is necessary prior to launching any mass marketing effort, otherwise a short-term spike will be just that... a short term spike. If the credibility is there and you can ramp up marketing efforts after establishing the foundation, you see sustained gains. That's the phase we're entering now.

If truth be told, integrating social media is very important, but is an area that we're just beginning to scratch the surface on currently. We'll be redesigning our Facebook page. And in connection with the launch of the new web site one month ago (which replaced the blog) and our expanded national coverage... we've relaunched our Twitter page. We've still got to continue educating ourselves about the multitude of other creative ways to use social media, and that's where you come in Peter!

PRC: What's your vision for College Chalktalk? Is there an end goal? If you had $1M to spend on the site, what advancements would you make?

DiSano: My vision for College Chalktalk is to continue, day-by-day, building a site with a strong reputation for credible college basketball coverage. I certainly think about the future, but I'm not sure I want to focus too much on an end-goal, for fear of limiting flexibility along the way. If we continue to grow at our current pace, things will work out down the road.

As far as the million dollar hypothetical, I can't even hazard a guess... but I can tell you that I'd hire somebody to take care of all the back-end work that keeps me up late at night!

PRC: You and me, both! Thanks for taking the time to share information about College Chalktalk, and the National Coaches' Diary Series.

DiSano: Thank you for the opportunity! I really appreciate it.

Q+A with Czech Republic National Basketball League Player, Corey Muirhead

With the early success of rookie point guard, Brandon Jennings, people are starting to look at how much of that early success can be accredited to the year he spent playing in Europe instead of play collegiate basketball in the U.S. Jennings is literally putting up record breaking numbers for the Bucks this year in his campaign for Rookie of the Year and questionably one of the top point guard in the NBA.

International players are having an increasingly growing impact on the NBA so scouts are starting to look closer at players in other countries. One of these players is Novy Jicin star Corey Muirhead. The Canadian-Jamaican professional came out of Western Carolina University in 2006 and his scouting report reads:

“NBA athlete ... long with excellent mobility and leaping ability ... plays hard on both ends of the floor ... excellent slasher and finisher ... can finish in traffic with a dunk ... Solid three point shooter with a greatly improved mid range game. Quick first step and is able to pull up quickly off the dribble. Great body control, rebounds very well, great in the open court and is an excellent one on one defender.”

Some of his career honors include:

“2008 led the Swiss LNA in Scoring avg 20.8 ppg, 2008 first team Swiss LNA, 2008 voted best import in the Swiss LNA, 2009 Czech NBL Vice-Champion, first team all 2007 Austrian OEBL Vice-Champion, 2006 Top scorer Falco Cup (avg.28 pts.), 2006 NBA invitational pre-draft camp at Hofstra Un. in April, 2002 Toronto Star's Fab 5...Top 10 players in Ontario as by the Toronto Sun.”

Early last month, I was able to speak to Corey about playing basketball and living in Europe:

This interview was conducted by Jon Thompson. Friend me on Twitter.

Jon: How many years have you played professional basketball overseas? Where have you played, and where are you playing now?

Corey: Well this is my fourth year. I started in 2006. I payed my first year in Austria, and second year in France; then I started out in Switzerland last year, but the team folded and I came to the Czech Republic and finished up the season. Now I’m starting my second season in the Czech Republic.

Jon: What are the biggest differences between playing basketball overseas and playing in the United States?

Corey: That’s tough to say because I think basketball is basketball. Based on my experience, the fans are more passionate over here. There are more true fans and not bandwagon fans, so to speak. In Europe, there's normally small clusters in terms of communities or cities, so the fans tend to have a personal connection with their team; whether its basketball, or say soccer. Of course, everywhere you have bandwagon fans, but in my experience they’re very, very passionate compared to the USA.

Jon: Social media in basketball is currently huge in the US. How is the social media scene over in the Czech Republic? What forms of social media do you use? How is your team marketed and how are the players marketed?

Corey: I would say its pretty big here because obviously Facebook has taken over but I’ve noticed where LinkedIn is catching on and Twitter is catching on. I would say I’m probably a Facebook addict only because I have so much time on my hands here in Europe. I tend to be on Facebook a lot chatting with people in the community. I personally haven’t gotten on Twitter yet, but I’m pretty sure I’ll have to sooner or later. I’ve kind of gotten started with LinkedIn a little bit, but I haven’t really gotten the full swing of things yet. I have a website, www.coreymuirhead.com, but I don’t update it as often as I should.

A lot of the clubs here in Europe rely on sponsors. From a marketing standpoint, teams tend to rely on sponsorships. For example, I’m able to get a car written into my contract because the car dealership is a sponsor. We are also marketed more as a unit rather than individuals because a lot of the functions or PR stuff is always about “Team,” not just one individual.

Jon: Do you think US developmental programs should start teaching our young players to move more towards the European style which means being more focused on fundamentals and teamwork?

Corey: For sure. When you talk about basketball, it’s a team sport. It’s not just one player that gives you a win in the end. It’s a series of things that happen by a combination of different people. Also, you have to look at the mentality of people outside of sports in Europe. They tend to be more family-oriented. They set a lot of time aside for family, so I think it’s broader than basketball in that sense.

Jon: You have a beautiful wife who you married two summers ago, and I know your wife has lived with you overseas most of the time since tying the knot but not currently because she’s pregnant. How do you communicate with her and the rest of your family while you’re in the Czech Republic?

Corey: I use Yahoo Messenger to send her text messages and she can text me back throughout the day on her cell phone. I also have Magic Jack where I can call anyone in the USA or Canada just like I’m there and they can call me just like I’m there and it’s not long distance at all so it’s convenient. Like I said, I also use Facebook a lot and every now and then I use MSN Messenger.

Jon: You will be a father in less than 2 weeks. What are you doing now to prepare for the new addition?

Corey: That’s funny because for me personally, here in the apartment I find myself looking around trying to child proof the place but there’s not really a need for it yet because the baby won’t be crawling for at least a couple of months. Mentally I think I’m OK because I don’t have a problem if I have to go on 2 or 3 hours of sleep because I’ve always been able to wake up early since I was a child so I don’t think sleeping will be too much of a problem. On the flipside, I have so much downtown to do nothing so I can catch up on sleep then. So I’m just getting everything ready for when they get here.

(Andreas Harold Muirhead was born on November 7, 2009, to Lauren and Corey Muirhead)

Jon: While at Western Carolina University, you played with Sacramento Kings star, Kevin Martin. Tell me a little bit about that experience. Do you still keep in contact with him?

Corey: It was a great experience. For one, he’s one of the most humble guys I’ve ever come across; deceptively strong, and just an unbelievable scorer. I’ve never before had the privilege to play with such a great scorer. He has a real knack for scoring the ball and before you know it he can put up 30 points. By my standards, he was a very underrated player, but we all know he’s doing great now. It was just great to be able to go at him everyday and learn from him and pick his brain. It’s funny because not only Kevin, but everyone I played with there and even guys that I only played with for one season, we’ve all kept in touch. It’s really like a family and I never really understood what it was to be a family as far as college athletics and really having pride in something and belief in what you’re doing. Even if we don’t speak for two or three months we still have that strong connection.

Jon: There’s a lot of basketball players out there who are 6’6 and 200 pounds but I don’t know many who can play at the professional level and record 25 points, 9 of which were from beyond the arc, 8 rebounds, and 4 assist, which is what you did last Saturday. At 26 years old, where do you see your level of play?

Corey: I played well the other night but unfortunately we didn't get the win. It's good to play well, but I would also like to win in the process. Its' still early in the season and we are 5-2, so not a bad start.

I think as of 2007 I was an NBA prospect. I’m sure I could play in the NBA at that level no problem but I just haven’t had the opportunity. The way I look at it now is it’s more of a business for me at this point. I’m trying to make the most money while I can, provide for my family, and when I’m done playing basketball I want to have a good start in life and that’s been my approach. I know my level of play is very high and without a doubt I can play at the highest level given the opportunity. My focus is to keep getting better, because there’s always something you can get better at, and see where it takes me in the future.

Jon: I looked at some of your game tape and you remind me a lot of Mickael Pietrus. I didn’t know much about him until seeing him in the playoffs last year and he was a vital part to the Orlando Magic’s NBA Finals run. Have you seen him play and can you see the comparison?

Corey: Yes, from France. Absolutely. I’ve seen Pietrus play and his roll on the Magic is a little different than mine. I would probably be more of an offensive threat than he would be. He’s a great shooter, a silent threat. In terms of putting the ball on the floor and going by people, with my quickness I think for sure I have the edge. I don’t know what his three point percentages are but it seems like he shot the ball pretty well during the playoffs. Defensively, I’m sure I’m just as good if not better.

Jon: Can you be an effective NBA player? Would you go one step further and say you can be a game changer?

Corey: Absolutely. Honestly speaking and not being boastful because I believe in being humble, I think for sure I’m one of the best defensive players out there with whatever level you would like to associate that with. I’ve never in my life had a defensive assignment where I couldn’t win the battle. I’m very good offensively but I think defensively that’s where I separate myself from guys with similar abilities. I’m sure if you ask Kevin Martin if I was a great defensive player he would tell you yes because I gave him a hard time everyday in practice when I had to guard him. At every level, France, Austria, wherever I went, my defense has stood out. I can jump, I can dunk, I can shoot, but I always figured everyone can jump and shoot when you play at a high level, but how can you separate yourself? I definitely think I've separated myself and I think it shows as well.

Jon: Well that’s it. I appreciate the time and it was great speaking with you. Good luck with the rest of the season and your career. I hope to see you in the NBA soon.

Corey: Thanks. I appreciate it. Take care.